When soft tissue such as ligament or tendon becomes detached from bone, surgery is usually required to reattach or reconstruct the tissue. Often, a tissue graft is attached to the bone to facilitate regrowth and permanent attachment. Techniques and devices that have been developed generally involve tying the soft tissue with suture to an anchor or a hole provided in the bone. Knotless suture anchors, such as the two-piece Arthrex PushLock® anchor, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,329,272, have been developed to facilitate tissue fixation to bone.
There is a need for improved anchor assemblies and constructs, as well as methods of fixating tissue (for example, ligament) within a socket or tunnel of a bone with such improved anchor assemblies. Also needed are methods of tissue fixation wherein suture tension is conducted and maintained initially and before the final fixation of the construct to or into bone. Methods of sealing off a bone aperture/tunnel/socket to contain biologics such as blood, bone marrow, growth factors, etc. are also needed.